Static removing apparatus



F. J. GUTMAN STATIC REMOVING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 15, 1934 Dec. 3, 1935.

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Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT ,omct

' aosasu STATIC REMOVING APPARATUS 2 Claims.

My invention relates to apparatus "for removing static from paper as itis passing through a printing press andbeing printed therein, or beinghandled in any of the operations such as printing, trimming, cutting andthe like, while the paper passes through the press and also in manyother places where a flexible member passes over a roller, pulley, orthe like, such as belts, artificial leather making machinery, hesivetape machinery, and the like.

Another and further object of my invention is the provision of a devicewhich is so placed with respect to the paper as it passes through theprinting press that the static passes from the paper into the staticremoving device, an electrical conductor of exceedingly low resistance,

and which has a plurality of exceedingly fine wire members extendingtoward the paper but spaced therefrom, and through the device thecurrent passes to the frame of the press which, of course, is grounded,carrying the current away from the paper and the printing press.

Another and further object of my invention is the provision of a deviceadapted for the removal of static from paper while it is passing througha printing press, and which can be adjustabiy positioned with respect tothe paper so as to insure the device being able to pick up the staticfrom the paper, and which simply and easily accomplishes the removal ofstatic from the paper.

Another and further object of my invention is the provision of a devicewhich is so arranged that it can be easily removed from the printingpress and easily cleaned. When placed adjacent the press the staticelectricity passing from the paper into the device carries with it asmall quantity of ink so that after the device has been in use for sometime it becomes badly smeared with ink and it is necessary to remove itfrom the press for the purpose of cleaning it, after which it can bereplaced for further service in the press.

Another and further object of my invention is the provision of a devicefor the removal of static which is simple and eflective in operation,exceedingly simple and easy to install, cheap to manufacture, andeffectively accomplishes the result desired.

I am aware that many devices have been produced forthe removal of staticfrom paper during its passage through a printing press and that agreat'many of them, while partially performing this function, are notwholly effective. There is always danger of a spark from the paperpassing to some part of the press which ignites the ink or otherinflammable materials such as oil used for lubrication of the press,naphtha, benzine and the like, used for washing the ink rollers andmiscellaneous parts of the press for 5 removal of ink therefrom, so thatthe iire hazard in the operation of the press is exceedingly high and inmany presses, particularly with respect to photogravure work and thelike, the fire hazard is always a source of danger to be reckoned with.10 In my improved device this danger is entirely eliminated. The staticpasses from the paper into the device, and fire hazard from staticoriginating in the'paper is entirely eliminated.

These and other objects of my invention will 15 be more fully and betterunderstood by reference to the accompanying sheet of drawing, in which-Figure 1 is a view of a portion of a printing press showing my inventionapplied thereto;

Figure 2' is a fragmentary plan view of the 20 press shown in Figure 1;and

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the complete device as I employ itbefore installation in a printing press.

Referring now specifically to the drawing and 25 in which like referencecharacters refer to like parts throughout, a printing press frame I0 isshown, having an impression cylinder Ii mounted thereon, with a feedtable i2 provided over which the paper passes from the impressioncylinder, with a plurality of rolls i3, I3 forming guideways throughwhich the paper passes from the impression cylinder. A fragment of adelivery table mechanism is shown, which comprises a shaft 14 extendingtransversely across the delivery mechanism mounted upon brackets ilsecured to the main frame of the press and upon which pulleys l5 aremounted over which lower tapes it pass. The outer ends of the brackets Hare upturned and have a shaft I8 mounted therein which extendstransversely across the delivery mechanism and upon which pulleys i9 aremounted, which have tapes 20 passing thereover. A similar operatingmecha-' nism is provided at the opposite end of the de- 45 livery tablefor carrying these tapes. All of these portions heretofore describedform parts of the conventional printing press and form no part of thepresent invention.

As the paper passes from the impression roll 0 and onto the deliverymechanism, it is passed between the tapes I6 and the upper tape 20,these tapes being power driven in any desired manner, and conveying thepaper away from the cylinder to the cutter, folder mechanism 55 whetherby an impression cylinder, offset process or the like or to any othermachine perform ing apstep in the process of printing the sheet.

As illustrating one embodiment of my improved invention a bracket 2| issecured to the bracket I! at one side of the delivery mechanism in anyapproved mannenthis bracket being pivotally mounted, with a similarmechanism mounted at the opposite end. The bracket 2i has an openingtherein within, which is mounted the stem portion 22 of a wire brush 23.This brush 28 is preferably composed of fine brass strands of wiretwisted into the stem 22, the stem 22 being formed of a pair of copperwires twisted upon themselves, with the wire bristles forming the brushbeing positioned between the strands making up the stem portion. Thestem 22 has a ring 26 at one of its ends and hooks 25 formed of the stemstrands at its opposite end which are mounted in aturnbuckle 26 in turnmounted upon a bolt 21 which passes through the bracket 2| of theopposite side of the delivery table. The turnbuckle mechanism isprovided for the purpose of keeping the brush drawn taut, particu-=larly for use in a printing press'having a wide delivery bed and toprevent the brush, when placed in position, from sagging away from thepaper as it passes through the press.

The wire brush 23 is preferably positioned adjacent' the paper after itleaves the cylinder or after the printing on the sheet is performed,

or the like, and extends transversely across the sheet of paper and inadjusted position with respect thereto so that the points of the brassbristles are spacedfairly close to the paper and yetnot in contacttherewith. The brush remains stationary and as the paper passes over thebrush the veryflnely divided points of the wires projecting upwardtoward the surface of the paper form contact points to which the staticpasses from the paper, through the finely divided brass bristle portionsto the copper stem and through the metal frame work of the press to theground connection provided in all printing presses for the purpdse ofremoving the static from the frame and metallic parts of the press.

In practice I have found that a considerable quantity of ink is carriedfrom the paper onto the brush and therefore as one section of the brushbecomes clogged or smeared with ink, the operator of the press'tumsthebrush slightly, bringing a clean portion of the brush opposite a sectionof the paper, andthis is repeated until the brush is filled up with ink.It is then removed from the press and washed outwith benzine, naphtha orthe like, the same mixture which is used for the wash up of the pressitself.

In the manufacturi of the brush itself, the brass bristles are held inthe stem portion in 5 the same manner as making brushes of bristle, andthe ends of the wires trimmed oil! or the brush itself trimmed so thatit forms a cylindrical brush with the ends of the brass bristles cutoil. evenly so that once the brush is properly adjusted with respect tothe paper it is in proper position no matter how it may be rotated whenin position on the press.

The device may, of course, be mounted in any particular location on thepress as long as it 15 can be placed adjacent the paper and in fairlyclose proximity thereto so the current will travel from the paper intotheends of the brass bristles making up the brush, and be conducted awayfrom the paper and printing press. Because of 20 the fact that the veryfine points of the brass bristles extend into close proximity to thepaper the eifectis substantially the same as covering the entire surfaceof the paper with a brush so that the static is picked up and removedfrom 25 the paper. I

,While I have described more or less precisely the details ofconst1uction,'I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto,as I contemplate changes in form and the proportion of 0 parts and thesubstitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or renderexpedient without departing from the spirit or scope of, my invention. 1

I claim: a 35 1. A static remover comprising in combination an elongatedconductor body member, mounting means on said body member, andbristle-like static conductor means on said body member in mass formextending radially therefrom, 40 whereby substantially the entiresurface of the material from which the static is removed is covered bysaid bristles.

' 2. A static remover comprising in combination an elongated conductorbody member composed 45 of a plurality of members twisted uponthemselves, and bristle-like conductor members hav ing their middleportions} gripped between said body members and their outer portionsextending radially therefrom in mass form, whereby so substantially theentire surface "of the material from which the static is removed iscovered by the said bristles.

FRED J. GU'IMAN.

